Circumferential sealing diaphragm valve

ABSTRACT

A valve body for a valve includes a body having an internal cavity formed therein. An inlet passage and an outlet passage are formed in the body. The inlet passage has an inlet opening in communication with the internal cavity, and the outlet passage has an outlet opening in communication with the internal cavity. A circumferential sealing surface is formed on a wall of the internal cavity. The circumferential sealing surface extends between the inlet opening and the outlet opening and circumferentially around the internal cavity. Furthermore, a bottom line extending through the inlet passage, the internal cavity and the outlet passage forms a coplanar surface to allow for free-drainage of the body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/269,335, filed on Feb. 20, 2001, theentirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to diaphragm valves. In particular, thepresent invention relates to diaphragm valves which allow forfree-drainage of a valve body of the valve when the valve is in the openposition.

2. Description of Background Art

The demand for higher quality products forces industries to continuallyreevaluate fundamental and basic elements of their processes in a searchto discover new methods and better components that will yield greateruniformity with higher levels of reproducibility in order to achieve thequality desired. Evaluation of inspection results by United States Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors in recent years has caused thatagency to push industry to focus on cleaning validation and, ofparticular relevance to this disclosure, the cleanability of equipment,a large part of which is sanitary valving. Among the concerns are thatsome equipment in these processes may not be adequately cleanable inplace, that in-situ cleaning procedures are not themselves adequate toclean the equipment installed or that the procedures and equipment areappropriately matched, but the procedures are not being properlyexecuted.

Valves are by far the largest category of equipment used in processes.Relative to other existing valve designs, weir-style diaphragm valvesare simple, provide good process isolation, cost-effective to installand maintain and because they were thought to be easily and reliablycleanable in place. Unlike several other categories of valve designs,weir diaphragm valves generally offer good drainability with littlehold-up of material when properly installed. For these reasons theyhave, over the last fifty years, become the valve of choice for use inhygienic processes.

In recent years the performance of these valves has been subject to muchgreater and closer scrutiny, at least in part due to pressure from FDA.While still the preferred choice for some applications, it has becomeapparent that weir diaphragm valves can pose a significant risk as asource of cross over contamination, particularly if improperlyinstalled, operated and maintained or if clean-in-place andsterilize-in-place procedures are not properly followed. These concernsstem from the basic design of weir diaphragm valves. Referring to FIG.10 of the present invention, a typical weir diaphragm valve 101 isillustrated. The weir diaphragm valve 101 includes a valve body 103, adiaphragm 133 and a bonnet, as well as other typical valve components(all not shown).

In FIG. 10, a static perimeter or circumferential seal 136 is formedbetween the valve body 103 and the bonnet by a perimeter of thediaphragm 133. Furthermore, a dynamic line seal 137 is formed along aweir 140. The main problem with the weir diaphragm valve design is thatthe static circumferential seal 136 is continuous with the line seal 137made by the diaphragm 133 across the top of the weir 140. When thecenter portion of the diaphragm 133 is raised to break the line seal 137across the weir 144 to allow for flow through the valve, pressure isapplied to the inner edge of the diaphragm 133 where it forms the staticcircumferential seal 136 with the valve body 103. Accordingly, a portionof the static circumferential seal 136 is also raised. When the lineseal 137 is reformed across the weir 140 by lowering the diaphragm 133,material is trapped between the inner edge of the diaphragm 133 and thevalve body 103, i.e., within the static circumferential seal 136. Thistrapped material may migrate back into the internal cavity 113 of thevalve body 103 over time. Although this may be less of a problem while abatch of a process is in progress, not completely removing the trappedresidual during cleaning procedures between batches is a more seriousissue and may be considered very critical between campaigns of differentproducts by the FDA.

In addition to the above, weir valves in the past were typically used inan orientation where the flow through the valve proceeded from the inletpassage to the outlet passage by flowing vertically over the weir 140.Accordingly, material would be trapped on the upstream side of theinternal cavity 113. This of course causes cross contamination.

Manufacturers today, in an effort to improve drainage through theirvalves and minimize hold-up, recommend that weir diaphragm valves becantilevered over onto the side so that fluids can flow passively aroundthe weir and out, rather than vertically over the weir. While this isnecessary in order to make weir valves drain, this also places a portionof the circumferential seal 136 at the bottom of the valve, causing itto become a sump where material will tend to collect and where completedrainage will be very difficult to fully achieve. Consequently, a moresignificant cleaning challenge and possible point source for crosscontamination is exacerbated when using a weir valve in this manner.Several articles can be found through the literature on the subject ofweir-style valve cleanability. One of the most recent is an article inPharmaceutical Processing (September, 2001, pg. 80) in which the author,in a comparison study of weir valves and radial diaphragm valves,demonstrates that weir valves frequently do not become fully cleaned. Inthis study, radial diaphragm valves provided much higher clean-in-placereliability.

Accordingly, the primary alternative valve design to weir valves thathas gained favor in many industries is the radial diaphragm valve,similar to the testing in the study mentioned above. FIG. 11 of thepresent invention illustrates a typical radial diaphragm valve 101. Aswith weir diaphragm valves, radial diaphragm valves include a flexingdiaphragm 233 that allows the valve 201 to be opened and closed whilesegregating the mechanical elements of the valve 201 from the process.Radial diaphragm valves, however, differ from weir diaphragm valves inseveral important ways. The most important advantage radial diaphragmdesigns offer is that the static circumferential seal 236 between thevalve body 203 in a radial diaphragm valve is not continuous with thedynamic seal 237, as is the case with weir valves. Since the two sealsare not continuous, a radial diaphragm valve can be actuated without thecircumferential seal 236 being affected. Accordingly, crosscontamination as a result of residual hold-up in the circumferentialseal 236 is effectively eliminated when compared to the weir diaphragmvalve.

While it would seem that the solution to the cross contaminationproblems currently plaguing the industry could be resolved by radialdiaphragm valves, it is a byproduct of the radial design that makesradial diaphragm valves a less perfect solution to the problem. Asmentioned above, radial diaphragm valves are defined by the segregationof the circumferential seal 236 from the flow control or dynamic seal237 and the passage it seals. A review of the background art will showthat in the dynamic seal 237, the flow control passage 224 and themating annular dynamic sealing surface 237 immediately about it arepositioned at the center of the internal valve cavity. Accordingly, theflexible portion 241 of the diaphragm 233 between the staticcircumferential seal 236 and the dynamic seal 237 is enough to allow thenecessary range of movement of the dynamic sealing tip 235 of thediaphragm 233 to seal the flow control passage 244, while minimizingstress on the flexible portion 241 of the diaphragm 233. In view ofthis, the portion of the diaphragm 233 which mates with the valve body203 at the circumferential seal 236 is not lifted. Accordingly, materialis not trapped in the circumferential seal as in a weir valve.

As can be readily understood, with the arrangement of radial diaphragmvalve, an opening into the internal cavity 213 of one flow passage 226is located radially outward from the centrally placed flow controlpassage 224 and radially inward from the circumferential seal 236. Itwill also be noted that the surface of both of these passages open intothe valve internal cavity 213 through the same wall 242. The wall 242 issubstantially planar or dished as illustrated in FIG. 11, and at leastone of the axes of the flow passages tends to enter the internal cavity213 at close to a right angle.

As a consequence of the combination of the orientation of the passagesrelative to the wall 242 of the internal cavity 213 through which theyenter, the opening of one fluid passage 224 is positioned centrally inthe internal cavity 213 with the other passage 226 positioned radially.Furthermore, both passages are within the circumferential seal 236.Accordingly to the background art, radial diaphragm valves can only bemade to fully drain if they are oriented vertically, i.e., with theoutlet at the bottom, and will only drain if the bottom of the outlet isadjacent the circumferential seal 236. Accordingly, in FIG. 11, it wouldbe necessary to orient the valve 201 such that the passage 226 isoriented downward.

As can be readily understood, since radial diaphragm valves are onlycompletely drainable if oriented in a vertical manner, there are severelimitation on how radial diaphragm valves found in the background arecan effectively be used. Specifically, orienting a radial diaphragmvalve in a vertical orientation results in a significant vertical dropacross them. Due to the numerous valves required for some systems,orienting all of the valves in a vertical manner is not possible becauseof the space limitations. Accordingly, radial diaphragm valves have notdisplaced weir diaphragm valves in practice, in spite of the in-situcleanability limitations of weir diaphragm valve designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Having described the strengths and weaknesses of the two predominantcategories of valves used for hygienic processing, the present inventorwould like to present a new alternative valve design that combines thebest features of each of the design categories discussed above, whileeliminating weaknesses. As will be seen in the present invention, it ispossible to construct a valve design that can incorporate the desirablediaphragm sealing component wherein the dynamic seal is segregated fromthe static circumferential seal, where the process contact surfaces ofthe valve body and of the diaphragm are fully accessible to the processflow without the creation of pooling areas, breathing seals oradditional crevice areas so that cleaning and sterilizing the valve inplace can most effectively be achieved.

The present invention has the added benefit of being a compact designthat may also be manufactured economically due, in part, to the opennature of the internal cavity and passages formed in the valve body.Furthermore, when constructed as an embodiment where inlet and outletpassages are coaxial, the present invention has the benefit of beingbilaterally symmetrical, allowing it to be used, without modificationand without any loss in operational effectiveness, in right- orleft-handed applications, requiring only that the body be rotated. Thevalve of the present invention also provides improved flow with betterself-cleaning and sterilizing characteristics because of theminimization of quiet zones and the sweeping scouring flow path thatwill be created as material flows into and out of the internal valvecavity.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device thatcan be effectively cleaned and sterilized in place, where the processcan effectively be isolated from the mechanical valve elements throughthe use of a diaphragm or other effective sealing members and whereunobstructed free-drainage through the valve can still be achieved.

A further object of the present invention is to allow flow through thevalve without requiring a step up or a step down of flow and to do sowithout the accumulation of material flow in the valve body as currentlyhappens with background art radial diaphragm valves.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a dynamic diaphragmseal for reversibly sealing off the flow of process through the valvethat is separate and discrete from the static seal that forms betweenthe diaphragm and the valve body such that when the dynamic seal isactuated, the static seal remains essentially unaffected. Accordingly,the static seal does not tend to accumulate and harbor materials alongthe seam between the diaphragm and the valve body as currently occurswith weir-style diaphragm valves.

Still another purpose of the present invention is to provide a designthat can be effectively cleaned and sterilized in place.

Yet another purpose of this design is to provide a design that can bemade with an o-ring seal or with a diaphragm seal.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device that can beeasily is dismantled, inspected and maintained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus thatcan be operated manually or automatically.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device that can bemodified and combined to form valve with inlets and outlets oriented atdifferent angles from one another such as in the case of an “L” shapedvalve, form valves with single or multiple inlets and/or outlets such asin the case of a “2-way” valve, form compound valves where a single bodycan combine several internal cavities, inlets and outlets which may ormay not be interconnected.

The above objects of the present invention can be accomplished byproviding a valve body with the following construction. A valve bodyhaving an internal cavity formed therein. An inlet passage and an outletpassage are formed in the body. The inlet passage has an inlet openingin communication with the internal cavity, and the outlet passage has anoutlet opening in communication with the internal cavity. Acircumferential sealing surface is formed on a wall of the internalcavity. At least a portion of the circumferential sealing surfaceextends between the inlet opening and the outlet opening andcircumferentially around the internal cavity. Furthermore, a continuousunobstructed path for flow along the valve bottom extends through theinlet passage, the internal cavity and the outlet passage that forms acoplanar surface to allow for free-drainage of the body.

The valve of the present invention may be equipped with a radialdiaphragm sealing element or an o-ring seal, may be actuated manually orautomatically and may be formed as a single valve or ganged together asa flow control unit encompassing multiple flow pathways and multipleinternal cavities.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitativeof the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section through the valve of the presentinvention illustrating the valve in an closed position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the valve of the presentinvention illustrating the valve in a opened position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the valve body and diaphragm of thepresent invention according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a horizontal cross-section of the valve at a mid-height ofthe inlet and outlet when the valve is positioned for operation which,in the case of this valve (same as illustrated FIG. 3) is cantileveredonto its side at an angle of 45° to the horizontal;

FIG. 4B is a cross-section through the valve of FIG. 3 along a center ofthe diaphragm;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the valve of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the valve of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section similar to FIG. 6 illustrating analternative embodiment of the valve according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the valveof present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the valveof the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a valve according to the backgroundart; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-section of a valve according to the background art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a first embodiment of thepresent invention will be described. FIGS. 1 and 2 are verticalcross-sections through the valve 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1illustrates the valve in a closed position and FIG. 2 illustrates thevalve in an open position.

The valve 1 includes a valve body 3 and a bonnet 5. The bonnet 5 can beconnected to the valve body 3 through numerous types of mechanismsincluding clamps, etc. However, in FIGS. 1-5, the bonnet 5 isillustrated as being connected to the valve body 3 by a plurality ofbolts 7 which extend into corresponding bolt holes 9 formed in thebonnet 5 and the valve body 3 (see FIG. 3).

The valve 1 also includes a valve actuator rod 10 mounted in the bonnet5. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve actuator rod 10 is illustrated with amanual actuator 11 for opening and closing the valve. However, it shouldbe understood that an automatic actuator, such as a pneumatic actuatorcould also used.

The structure of the valve body 3 of the present invention will now bedescribed. The valve body 3 includes an internal cavity 13, an inletpassage 27, and an outlet passage 31 formed therein. A bottom lineextending through the inlet passage 27, the internal cavity 13, and theoutlet passage 31 forms a co-planar surface 20, when the valve body iscantilevered about an axis of the inlet passage 27. In the firstembodiment of the present invention, the bottom line is formed by theco-planar surface 20 to form a continuous, smooth and uninterrupted flowline from the inlet 25 to the outlet 29, when the valve 1 iscantilevered to one side by 45°. This orientation of the valve 1 allowsthe valve 1 to be free-draining to the process side when the valve 1 isin an open position as illustrated in FIG. 2. It is also noted that in atypical system, the valve would be oriented to have to the inlet 25slightly above the outlet 29 in order to assist in this free-draining.

In FIGS. 1-5, the valve 1 is illustrated as being a 45° degree valve,which would therefore be mounted such that the valve is cantileveredabout the axis of the inlet passage 27 by 45°. However, it will bereadily understood to one having ordinary skill in the art that thevalve can be constructed in other ways as well, depending on theapplication. For example, the valve of the present invention can also beconstructed as, for example, a 57° or 24° valve, which would requirethat the valve be mounted such that the valve is cantilevered about theaxis of the inlet passage 27 by 57° and 24°, respectively.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a main portion of the internal cavity 13includes a cylindrical portion 15 and a conical portion 17. However, itshould be understood that the shape of the internal cavity 13 can beformed in other shapes as well. The valve body 3 may also include achannel 19, which is in communication with an inlet opening 21 of theinlet passage 27 and the main portion of the internal cavity 13. Theinlet opening 21 is also in communication with an inlet 25 via the inletpassage 27. Furthermore, an outlet opening 23 of the outlet passage 31is in communication with the main portion of the internal cavity 13. Theoutlet opening 23 is in communication with an outlet 29 via the outletpassage 31.

It should be noted that the terms “inlet” and “outlet” are used only todenote opposite sides of a circumferential sealing surface 37 formed inthe internal cavity 13, which segregates the upstream from thedownstream side of a process. However, the valve 1 of the presentinvention can be installed to have either the inlet 25 or the outlet 29oriented toward the upstream side or downstream side of the process. Inaddition, a process may flow in one direction relative to the valve 1 insome instances, while in a second, opposite direction in otherinstances.

Referring again to FIG. 1 of the present invention, the valve 1 isillustrated in the closed position, while in FIG. 2, the valve 1 isillustrated in the open position. In order to keep the process side ofthe valve 1 isolated from the non-process side of the valve 1, adiaphragm 33 can be utilized. The diaphragm 33 includes a sealing tip35, which is movable into and out of contact with a circumferentialsealing surface 37 by the manual actuator 11. The diaphragm 33 alsoincludes a forward extension 39, which may be undercut (not shown),allowing the flexible portion 41 of the diaphragm 33 a greaterflexibility. Accordingly, the sealing tip 35 is allowed a greater rangeof travel and therefore a greater range of flow through the valve 1 canbe achieved. The sealing tip of the diaphragm 33 may be conical or inthe form of a truncated cone in order to cooperate with thecircumferential sealing surface 37. Other embodiments of the inventionare also possible, wherein diaphragm 33 has no forward extension otherthan to be designed as a large dimple in an otherwise flat diaphragm, aforward portion of the dimple mating and sealing with thecircumferential sealing surface 37. However, it should be understoodthat the shape of the sealing tip can also be formed in other closedshapes. All that is required is that the sealing tip 35 and thecircumferential sealing surface 37 cooperate with each other to form aseal about the circumference of the internal cavity 13.

The outer perimeter 47 of diaphragm 33 is generally round and mayinclude one or more lips shown in the first embodiment with a forwardlip 43 and a rearward lip 45, to help anchor the perimeter 47 of thediaphragm within the valve body 3. A forward annular wall 49 of thediaphragm 33 forms a static sealing surface with a rear wall 51 of thevalve body 3. Forward lip 43 fits into a groove 53 formed within valvebody 3.

The perimeter 47 of the diaphragm 33 is held in place by being pressedfrom behind by a forward face 55 of a compression ring 57. Thecompression ring 57 is pressed from behind by a forward face 59 of thebonnet 5. As mentioned above, the bonnet 5 is tightened down on thevalve body 3 by, for example, bolts, clamps, etc., bolts 7 beingillustrated in FIGS. 1-5.

Rotating the manual actuator 11 will cause the valve actuator rod 10 tobe reversibly retracted from the closed or sealing position. The forwardend 65 of the valve actuator rod 10 is affixed to an insert 67 in thediaphragm 33. This causes the sealing tip 35 of the diaphragm 33 to matewith the circumferential sealing surface 37 of the valve body 3 aboutthe outlet opening 23 of the outlet passage 31. A pin 69 is pressed intoa hole 71 in the bonnet 5. The pin 69 protrudes into a slot 73 formed inthe valve actuator rod 10, keeping it from rotating as the knob 75 ofthe manual actuator 11 is rotated. Accordingly, the female threads 77formed in the knob assembly 75 force the male threads 79 formed on thevalve actuator rod 10 to retract the valve actuator rod 10 and theattached sealing tip 35, thus opening the valve 1, as illustrated inFIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the present invention, a perspective view of thevalve 1 is illustrated. In FIG. 3, the axis of the inlet passage 27 andoutlet passage 31 are offset from a center of the valve body 3.Accordingly, while the valve can be operated in many orientations, thisembodiment can be made to have a continuous, smooth and uninterruptedhorizontal flow line from the inlet 25 to the outlet 29 when the axisthrough the inlet 25 and outlet 29 is horizontal and when the valve isalso cantilevered to one side about an axis of the inlet passage 27. Inthis particular case, the valve would be cantilevered by 45°. In orderto aid in orienting the valve body 3 when in a system, an angled surface81 can be formed on the outside surface of the valve body 3. This formsa sight line, which can be used to ensure that the valve 1 is positionedproperly within a system. When the angled surface 81 is located parallelto a horizontal plane, the bottom line is formed by the co-planarsurface 20 to form a continuous, smooth and uninterrupted flow line fromthe inlet 25 to the outlet 29. Accordingly, the angled surface 81 shouldbe constructed to be parallel to the co-planar surface 20, but spacedtherefrom. It should also be noted that the angled surface 81 can alsobe angled to assist the flow through the valve 1 from the inlet 25 tooutlet 29, as mentioned earlier.

In FIG. 3, the channel 19 is clearly shown in its preferred form,wherein a smooth transition from the inlet opening 21 is formed. Thedashed line in FIG. 3 illustrates the flow path between the channel 19and the outlet opening 23. As can be clearly understood, when thisdashed line is oriented parallel to a horizontal plane, the flowpathwaywould be parallel to the outer perimeter of the conical surface formedby the conical portion 17 of the internal cavity 13. To be put anotherway, when this dashed line is oriented parallel to a horizontal plane,the flow path along the bottom of channel 19 would be coplanar with theouter perimeter of the conical surface where the two meet. Also, a lineextending from the cone perimeter toward what would be the cone's apex,a point within outlet opening 23, would also be coplanar. Accordingly,the flow crosses the circumferential seal formed between thecircumferential sealing surface 37 and the sealing tip 35 of thediaphragm 33.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B of the present invention, the flow throughthe valve 1 will be explained. As mentioned above, the flow through thevalve 1 allows for free-draining of the valve from the inlet 25 to theoutlet 29 when the valve is in an open position as illustrated in FIG.2. In FIG. 4A, the flow through the valve is illustrated by arrows,while in FIG. 4B, the flow through the valve is illustrated by a pair ofarrows and a flow line. As can be clearly understood, the flow entersthrough inlet 25 and continues through inlet passage 27, inlet opening21, channel 19 of the internal cavity 13, outlet opening 23, outletpassage 31 and outlet 29 in turn.

FIG. 4A is a cross-section through the valve body 3 of FIG. 3 along aplane parallel to the co-planar surface 20. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectionthrough the valve body 3 of FIG. 3 through a center of the diaphragm 33.As can be clearly understood, a continuous flow through the valve isformed, since the bottom line of the inlet passage 27, the internalcavity 13, and the outlet passage 31 form the co-planar surface 20 whenthe valve is cantilevered about the axis of the inlet passage 27 toorient the co-planar surface parallel to a horizontal plane. Asmentioned above, the valve 1 on the first embodiment should becanitlevered by 45°.

Referring again to FIG. 4B, the value body is illustrated as resting onan imaginary plane P, which is parallel to the angled surface 81. Whenthe valve body 3 is in this orientation, a bottom line extending throughthe inlet passage 27, the internal cavity 13 and the outlet passage 31forms a coplanar, horizontal surface to allow for free drainage of thevalue body 3. In other words, when the value body 3 is oriented asillustrated in FIG. 4B, a bottom most surface of the inlet passage 31,the channel 19 of the internal cavity 13 and the outlet passage 31 formcoplanar, horizontal surface which allows material within the system toflow from the inlet 25 to the outlet 29 without obstruction.

In FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B of the present invention, the axis of the inletpassage 27 and the outlet passage 31 are offset to one side of the valvebody 1. It should be noted; however, that the inlet passage 27 and theoutlet passage 31 may also be constructed to pass through a center ofthe valve body 3. With this construction, the valve 1 may bebi-laterally constructed so that the valve 1 can be used in either aright-handed or left-handed orientation. However, it should beunderstood that depending on whether the valve 1 is to be used as aright-handed valve or a left-handed valve, the valve would becantilevered about the axis of the inlet passage 27 and outlet passage31 to the right side or left side, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 5 of the present invention, the circumferentialsealing surface 37 is clearly illustrated as being formed by a circle,which extends around a perimeter of the internal cavity 13. It should benoted; however, that as mentioned above, the circumferential sealingsurface 37 need not be formed in the shape of a circle, but could beformed in any other closed shape as long as the circumferential sealingsurface 37 extends 360° around the internal cavity 13.

In FIG. 5, the flow proceeds as explained above from the inlet 25through the inlet passage 27 to the inlet opening 21, and then proceedsthrough the channel 19, along the surface of the conical portion 17 tothe outlet opening 23, and then proceeds through the outlet passage 31to the outlet 29. Although the valve of the present invention has beendescribed as having a conical portion 17 and a channel 19 in theinternal cavity 13, it should be readily understood to one havingordinary skill in the art that only the smooth transition between theinlet opening 21 and the outlet opening 23 need be provided.Accordingly, the internal cavity 13 can be formed in other shapes aswell.

Referring to FIG. 6 of the present invention, a close-up view of analternative arrangement of the diaphragm 33 is illustrated. In thisembodiment, the diaphragm 33 has a much shorter forward extension 39,which would allow for less range of movement in retracting the sealingtip 35 from the mating circumferential sealing surface 37 but couldsignificantly reduce the internal volume of the valve body 3 allowingthe valve 1 to be more compact while assisting to redirect flow throughthe internal cavity 13 to achieve optimal throughflow efficiency. Aswith any valve, overextending valve operating components and associatedseal elements can cause the valve to operate suboptimally. In this case,without travel stops it would affect the static seal formed by the valvebody 3 and the perimeter 47 of the diaphragm 33 by causing the diaphragm33 to separate from body 3 along a static seal formed between forwardannular wall 49 and rear wall 51. Such over extension would create atemporary pocket where material could collect and result in the kind ofcross contamination problems currently seen with weir-style diaphragmvalves. As mentioned above, the flexibility of the diaphragm portionbetween the circumferential sealing surface 37, which forms a dynamicseal, and the forward annular wall 49 of diaphragm 33, which forms thestatic seal between the valve body 3 and the perimeter 47 of thediaphragm 33, is important since too little separation and/or too stiffa material may cause the transfer of movement of the dynamic sealingportion of the diaphragm to the portion which should remain static. Inthis embodiment, the diaphragm travel is more limited than in theembodiment shown FIG. 2, but flow through the valve body would berelatively higher and more efficient, since the cross section of inletopening 21 and outlet opening 23 are greater relative to the size of theinternal valve cavity. When considered with the fact that there islittle travel necessary to move the valve from the open to the closedposition, and that there is less internal surface area, this combinationof attributes is highly desirable and advantageous. When operated withindesign specifications this design avoids the problems of the backgroundart valves, which experience accumulation of material around the staticseal of the valve.

As an alternative arrangement, FIG. 7 of the present inventionillustrates an o-ring 83, which seals between the valve actuator rod 10and the bonnet 5. Also provided is a static annular seal 85 between thebonnet 5 and the valve body 3 and a dynamic seal between thecircumferential sealing surface 37 and the sealing tip 34 attached tothe actuator rod 10. This arrangement would provide no pressure on thestatic seal between the valve body 3 and the bonnet 5 during operationof the valve 1. Accordingly, material being caught in the space formedbetween the valve body 3 and the bonnet 5 can be reduced substantially.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the present invention, two embodiments ofthree-way valve are illustrated. In FIGS. 8 and 9, when the valve 1 isin the closed position, the inlet 25 is sealed off. However, flow isallowed to continue between the inlet 86 and the outlet 87. It should beunderstood that the inlet 86 and the outlet 87 can be opened and closedupstream and downstream, respectively, by an additional valve 1 of thepresent invention or another type of valve in the system. When it isdesired to provide flow between the inlet 25 and the inlet 86 and theoutlet 87, one of the inlet 86 and the outlet 87 is closed and thesealing tip 35 is brought away from the circumferential sealing surface37 in order to allow communication therebetween.

It should be noted that FIGS. 8 and 9 are similar embodiments. However,the difference between the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9 is the fact thatthe flow through the valve 1 in the closed position is straight in theembodiment of FIG. 8, while the flow through the valve 1 in FIG. 9 is atan angle of 90°. In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 8 illustrates fourchannels 19 formed in the internal cavity 13, while FIG. 9 illustratestwo channels 19. In FIG. 9, the inlet opening 88 and the outlet opening89 are illustrated as being adjacent to each other.

Both of the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9 are 30° valves and include twoangled surfaces 81, which aid in the positioning of the valve 1 in asystem, depending on whether the valve 1 is used in a right-handorientation or a left-hand orientation.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A valve body for a valve, comprising: a body; aninternal cavity formed in said body; an inlet passage formed in saidbody, said inlet passage having an inlet opening, said inlet openingbeing in communication with said internal cavity; an outlet passageformed in said body, said outlet passage having an outlet opening, saidoutlet opening being in communication with said internal cavity; and acircumferential sealing surface formed on a wall of said internalcavity, said circumferential sealing surface sealing between said inletopening and said outlet opening and circumferentially around saidinternal cavity, wherein a bottom line extending through said inletpassage, said internal cavity and said outlet passage forms a coplanar,horizontal surface to allow for free-drainage of said body.
 2. The valvebody according to claim 1, said internal cavity further comprising: amain cavity; and a channel formed between said inlet opening and saidmain cavity.
 3. The valve body according to claim 1, wherein said bottomline of said internal cavity is not co-axial with an axis of said inletpassage.
 4. The valve body according to claim 2, wherein said bottomline of said internal cavity is not co-axial with an axis of said inletpassage.
 5. The valve body according to claim 1, wherein said internalcavity further comprises a conical portion, said circumferential sealingsurface being formed around a circumference of said conical portion. 6.The valve body according to claim 1, wherein said circumferentialsealing surface is a first circumferential sealing surface, said valvebody further comprising a second circumferential sealing surface, saidsecond circumferential sealing surface extending entirely around anopening of said internal cavity.
 7. A valve, comprising: a valve body,said valve body comprising: an internal cavity formed in said body; aninlet passage formed in said body, said inlet passage having an inletopening, said inlet opening being in communication with said internalcavity; an outlet passage formed in said body, said outlet passagehaving an outlet opening, said outlet opening being in communicationwith said internal cavity; and a circumferential sealing surface formedon a wall of said internal cavity, said circumferential sealing surfacesealing between said inlet opening and said outlet opening andcircumferentially around said internal cavity, wherein a bottom lineextending through said inlet passage, said internal cavity and saidoutlet passage forms a coplanar, horizontal surface to allow forfree-drainage of said body; a bonnet, said bonnet being mounted to a topof said valve body to cover said internal cavity; and a valve actuatorrod supported by said bonnet, said actuator rod including a sealing tipon one end thereof for cooperating with said circumferential sealingsurface to open and close communication between said inlet passage andsaid outlet passage.
 8. The valve according to claim 7, said internalcavity further comprising: a main cavity; and a channel formed betweensaid inlet opening and said main cavity.
 9. The valve according to claim7, wherein a vertical plane extending through an axis of said inletpassage and parallel thereto is not coplanar with an axis of said valveactuator rod.
 10. The valve according to claim 8, wherein a verticalplane extending through an axis of said inlet passage and parallelthereto is not coplanar with an axis of said valve actuator rod.
 11. Thevalve according to claim 7, wherein said bottom line of said internalcavity is not co-axial with an axis of said inlet passage.
 12. The valveaccording to claim 8, wherein said bottom line of said internal cavityis not co-axial with an axis of said inlet passage.
 13. The valveaccording to claim 7, further comprising a static seal between saidbonnet and said valve body, said static seal being formed by a perimeterof a diaphragm, said diaphragm extending between said static seal andsaid sealing tip to seal said internal cavity from a valve actuator ofsaid valve actuator rod.
 14. The valve according to claim 7, furthercomprising: a static seal between said bonnet and said valve body; adynamic seal between said bonnet and said valve actuator rod to sealsaid internal cavity from a valve actuator of said valve actuator rod.15. The valve according to claim 7, wherein said internal cavity furthercomprises a conical portion, said circumferential sealing surface beingformed around a circumference of said conical portion.
 16. The valvebody according to claim 7, wherein said circumferential sealing surfaceis a first circumferential sealing surface, said valve body furthercomprising a second circumferential sealing surface, said secondcircumferential sealing surface extending entirely around an opening ofsaid internal cavity.
 17. A valve body for a valve, comprising: a body;an internal cavity formed in said body; an inlet passage formed in saidbody, said inlet passage having an inlet opening, said inlet openingbeing in communication with said internal cavity; an outlet passageformed in said body, said outlet passage having an outlet opening, saidoutlet opening being in communication with said internal cavity; and acircumferential sealing surface formed on a wall of said internalcavity, said circumferential sealing surface sealing between said inletopening and said outlet opening and circumferentially around saidinternal cavity, wherein a bottom surface of said body forms acontinuous, co-planar, horizontal path from an inlet of said inletpassage to an outlet of said outlet passage to allow for free-drainageof said body.
 18. The valve body according to claim 17, said internalcavity further comprising: a main cavity; and a channel formed betweensaid inlet opening and said main cavity.
 19. The valve body according toclaim 17, wherein at least a portion of said continuous, co-planar,horizontal path extending through said internal cavity is not co-axialwith an axis of said inlet passage.
 20. The valve body according toclaim 18, wherein at least a portion of said continuous, co-planar,horizontal path extending through said internal cavity is not co-axialwith an axis of said inlet passage.
 21. The valve body according toclaim 17, wherein said internal cavity further comprises a conicalportion, said circumferential sealing surface being formed around acircumference of said conical portion.
 22. The valve body according toclaim 17, wherein said circumferential sealing surface is a firstcircumferential sealing surface, said valve body further comprising asecond circumferential sealing surface, said second circumferentialsealing surface extending entirely around an opening of said internalcavity.
 23. A valve, comprising: a valve body, said valve bodycomprising: an internal cavity formed in said body; an inlet passageformed in said body, said inlet passage having an inlet opening, saidinlet opening being in communication with said internal cavity; anoutlet passage formed in said body, said outlet passage having an outletopening, said outlet opening being in communication with said internalcavity; and a circumferential sealing surface formed on a wall of saidinternal cavity, said circumferential sealing surface sealing betweensaid inlet opening and said outlet opening and circumferentially aroundsaid internal cavity, wherein a bottom surface of said body forms acontinuous, co-planar, horizontal path from an inlet of said inletpassage to an outlet of said outlet passage to allow for free-drainageof said body; a bonnet, said bonnet being mounted to a top of said valvebody to cover said internal cavity; and a valve actuator rod supportedby said bonnet, said actuator rod including a sealing tip on one endthereof for cooperating with said circumferential sealing surface toopen and close communication between said inlet passage and said outletpassage.
 24. The valve according to claim 23, said internal cavityfurther comprising: a main cavity; and a channel formed between saidinlet opening and said main cavity.
 25. The valve according to claim 23,wherein a vertical plane extending through an axis of said inlet passageand parallel thereto is not coplanar with an axis of said valve actuatorrod.
 26. The valve according to claim 24, wherein a vertical planeextending through an axis of said inlet passage and parallel thereto isnot coplanar with an axis of said valve actuator rod.
 27. The valveaccording to claim 23, wherein at least a portion of said continuous,co-planar, horizontal path extending through said internal cavity is notco-axial with an axis of said inlet passage.
 28. The valve according toclaim 24, wherein at least a portion of said continuous, co-planar,horizontal path extending through said internal cavity is not co-axialwith an axis of said inlet passage.
 29. The valve according to claim 23,further comprising a static seal between said bonnet and said valvebody, said static seal being formed by a perimeter of a diaphragm, saiddiaphragm extending between said static seal and said sealing tip toseal said internal cavity from a valve actuator of said valve actuatorrod.
 30. The valve according to claim 23, further comprising: a staticseal between said bonnet and said valve body; a dynamic seal betweensaid bonnet and said valve actuator rod to seal said internal cavityfrom a valve actuator of said valve actuator rod.
 31. The valveaccording to claim 23, wherein said internal cavity further comprises aconical portion, said circumferential sealing surface being formedaround a circumference of said conical portion.
 32. The valve bodyaccording to claim 23, wherein said circumferential sealing surface is afirst circumferential sealing surface, said valve body furthercomprising a second circumferential sealing surface, said secondcircumferential sealing surface extending entirely around an opening ofsaid internal cavity.
 33. A valve body for a valve, comprising: a body;an internal cavity formed in said body; an inlet passage formed in saidbody, said inlet passage having an inlet opening, said inlet openingbeing in communication with said internal cavity; an outlet passageformed in said body, said outlet passage having an outlet opening, saidoutlet opening being in communication with said internal cavity; and acircumferential sealing surface formed on a wall of said internalcavity, said circumferential sealing surface sealing around a perimeterof said outlet opening, wherein a bottom surface of said body forms acontinuous, co-planar, horizontal path from said inlet opening of saidinlet passage to said outlet opening of said outlet passage to allow forfree-drainage of said body.
 34. The valve body according to claim 33,said internal cavity further comprising: a main cavity; and a channelformed between said inlet opening and said main cavity.
 35. The valvebody according to claim 33, wherein said internal cavity furthercomprises a conical portion, said circumferential sealing surface beingformed around a circumference of said conical portion.
 36. The valvebody according to claim 33, wherein said circumferential sealing surfaceis a first circumferential sealing surface, said valve body furthercomprising a second circumferential sealing surface, said secondcircumferential sealing surface extending entirely around an opening ofsaid internal cavity.